


Mission Objective: Carry Us Home

by AntsySerpentine



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Red vs. Blue
Genre: Body Horror, Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Major Character Injury, Mild/graphic gore, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-06-09 20:10:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15275268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntsySerpentine/pseuds/AntsySerpentine
Summary: During the worst of the war on Chorus, the Reds and Blues come into contact with the galaxy's most ancient threat.





	1. Prologue: A Deadly Cargo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the supply carrier UNSC Serendipity gets more than they bargained for on a routine supply run when they encounter what they believed to be the Covenant.

It wasn’t something that the crew of the UNSC Serendipity were prepared for at all. While the crew aboard were unsure of what was really going on, they knew that they were under attack.

Despite peace treaties being put into place, tensions were still high between the humans and the aliens after the Great War. When passing by the Covenant ship, things initially seemed like they were peaceful. That was until it was clear that the ship was not going to change its trajectory and even with the best efforts of the crew aboard, the two starships scraped against each other, tearing into the walls of Serendipity and the “enemy” ship alike.

The alarms had been ringing in Benjamin’s ears for the past five minutes since the impact, and the voices of his superior officers were almost drowned out at this point. A low grumble passed through his lips as he fell out and followed his unit to meet with the intruders. _'Fucking fantastic,'_ the disdain difficult to keep from twisting the corners of his mouth into a scowl. _'Goddamn squid-heads set up a treaty just to attack us out in the middle of god knows fucking where just outside of colonized space. The nerve of those bastards.'_

“Halt. Draw your arms, prepare for contact with-” The platoon sergeant barked at the men behind him, soon lifting his assault rifle up and to the ready. The area of the ship that they had reached was dark, the lights above flickering weakly. The deeper they ventured into the hallway, the thicker the air seemed to get as the pungent odor of rotting flesh and corpses invaded their noses. The scent alone was enough to make Benjamin’s stomach churn, unease pricking up his spine and chilling him to the bone.

Something was wrong. Something was off. By now, the alien forces would have began barging down the corridors, attacking with brute force and might. The platoon did not meet the Covenant soldiers head on, but instead stumbled across Unggoy corpses strewn across the floor, the flesh partially decomposed in a sickening shade of yellow rot.

Although this wasn’t Benjamin’s first time seeing dead aliens, something about this occasion made him sick to his stomach, and he struggled against the burning bile he felt rising in his throat. Strangely enough, he couldn’t place the exact reason for it; He knew it wasn’t because he felt sympathy for them, no. He hated the Covenant with every fiber of his being, after all; They had been the reason he couldn’t return to his home planet. Everyone he left back home to fight in this war, his wife, his children, his friends-- Their very existence wiped out entirely the moment the planet was glassed. And since then, he vowed to keep fighting to avenge them, no matter what the cost.

Benjamin’s thoughts snapped back to reality when the platoon sergeant yelled out the order to keep formation, but something in the back of his mind was screaming, begging at him to run away, to flee and escape. He usually wrote it off as general paranoia and ignored it when the feeling popped up for him before; but with the worsening odor, the dead Unggoy and the lack of Sangheili bodies, there wasn’t a single rational thought he could summon to ease his nerves. Nothing about this situation was familiar to him.

 _'I don’t like how this feels. Not a single bit,'_ and for a brief moment, he almost considered just running, just to get the hell away from this area. _'This can’t be Covenant that we’re dealing with, there isn’t--'_

An ear-piercing screech interrupted his thoughts as several flood infection forms hurled themselves at the formation of men, with two of them latching their tendrils around the torso of the platoon sergeant. Springing into action, Benjamin and the rest of the troops opened fire on the remaining flood forms that scuttled closer, the small creatures bursting into a disgusting mess of a sickly yellow goop. All the while, the sergeant struggled against the two forms latched onto him, managing to kill one of them with his rifle, but failing to kill the other one, as it moved far too quickly.

The form crawled over to the back of the sergeant’s neck and made a deep incision to the back of his neck, allowing it to tap into his spinal cord. The man screamed in agony as the form began to take over him, quickly growing in size to consume the entire upper right half of his body as it began shutting down, forcing him to collapse to the ground in a heap.

In the few moments that seemed to stretch for hours, Benjamin could only stare in horror as whatever that damned creature was started to slowly reanimate his sergeant's corpse. The flesh on his face was filled with the same rot that present on the Unggoy bodies; but one thing was different. The entirety of his arm was covered in what looked to be a small collection of whip-like tendrils. A low, guttural roar emitted from the creature, swinging it’s giant arm at the closest soldier to it.

That was when Benjamin finally ran. _'Fuck, oh fuck, what the fuck did I just see?!'_ He knew he needed to escape and he needed to do it fast. He couldn’t tell if it was because of what he had just been a witness to, or if it was shock beginning to kick in, that his body felt as if it grew heavier, but his vision began to blur. _'No, not now, fucking pull it together. You are not dying here. Not now. You survived the fucking Covenant, you can get through this.'_

He couldn’t recall a time he had been so purely terrified by anything else in his life, not even going up against Sangheili and just narrowly escaping a glassing shook him up even half as badly as what just took place did. _'The escape pods, I’ve gotta make it there. It’s my only chance to make it out alive. I’m almost there, they’re just around the corner…'_

 _'Thank god,'_ Benjamin would have rejoiced upon seeing the pods, all of which hadn’t been touched by the flood, and the relief was almost enough to make him collapse right then and there. However, the distant screams of his colleagues and growling of the creatures was enough to remind him that he was running out of time to escape.

He tried to get into one of the available pods, his attempts growing more and more frantic and desperate as the noises grew closer and closer. _'Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back. Just get the fuck out of here you goddamned idiot.'_ Benjamin flinched upon hearing thundering crashing down the hallway he had just come down, and the doors to the pod opened with just enough time for him to scramble inside of it and lock them shut again before a combat form barreled into the area, slamming itself into the closed doors.

Benjamin’s heart hammered in his chest, and he almost felt himself growing faint upon being in such close proximity to the creature. His life depended on escaping, and he was so close to making it out alive. _'Fuck you.'_ In the moment, he half hoped that it could read his mind as he slammed his fist down on the “eject” button, the pod immediately being shot out and away from the ship which he knew was doomed.

 _'I don’t care if they mark me as AWOL, I was not going to fucking die on that ship.'_ Benjamin felt the tightness in his chest beginning to ebb away, strapping himself onto the seat. There wasn’t much for proper piloting controls in the pod, just a set of boosters and simple steering to alter trajectories. Besides that, he was drifting at mercy to where he had been shot off to.

He glanced out of the window, more so curious to see just where he was going. _'Wait a minute.. I don’t recognize or remember this place? Is this a colony or an alien planet?'_ The escape pod was getting closer and closer to the planet, and the moment Benjamin realized what was happening, there wasn’t anything he could do to alter his course. The pod was entering the atmosphere; He was going to crash.

The last thing that Benjamin was able to see before exhaustion completely took over was a tractor beam hitting the ship, and a large flash of light from the UNSC Serendipity before his vision faded into black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I finished this so late at night and I'm so thankful to joules for helping beta read this and help with editing!!!


	2. Son of a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After recovering from his near death experience with Felix, Tucker gets a couple visitors and a discharge from the medical wing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there is description of medical processes, such as removing IV's and catheters. Those who are squeamish might want to skip over those parts.

_ “That’s the last time you try and outsmart me, Captain Tucker.” _

 

Tucker jolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he rushed to sit upright, followed by sharp pain in his abdomen, protesting against movement. He groaned, pressing his back down against the unconformable mattress as his temples began to throb and ache.

 

_ ‘Fuuuuuuck, what happened?’ _ It took him a few moments for him to register exactly where he was. The walls around him were a sterile white, the monitor he was hooked up caught his attention from the corners of his eyes. It didn’t take him long to notice the bags of saline and blood hanging off of a silver hook, the tubes snaking down from the opening to where they were embedded into the flesh of his left inner forearm. Upon closer observation, it looked like someone had messed up on the first try and had to redo it, which explained the tenderness of the area and the extra bandages.

 

_ ‘Huh. So that’s what happened. Fuckin' asshole.’ _ Tucker became more aware of his surroundings, and for a brief moment, half contemplated on whether or not ripping out his IV and other tubes was a good idea or not. He felt just fine at this point, sans the exhaustion. Tucker soon disagreed with the idea, figuring that it would be more pain than what it was worth, so that helped to keep him in bed.

 

“It’s about time you finally woke up. You were out for a while there.”

 

Tucker turned his head towards the familiar voice, which belonged to Washington. The former agent was sitting down in the chair next to the bed, and Tucker wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there, or if he had just come in. Though by the looks of it, it was likely that he had been there for a while and he somehow didn’t see him when he awoke. 

 

Darkness circled the agent’s grey eyes, and Tucker read both relief and concern in his expression. It dawned upon him that however long Wash had been by his side, he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.  _ ‘Goddamn it, Wash. You should have rested.’ _ Generally, this was something that Tucker would have have nagged at Wash for, but starting the day with an argument wasn’t something he wanted to deal with, so he pushed the thought away.

 

“How long is ‘a while’?” 

 

“A couple of days or so. You lost a substantial amount of blood and needed a transfusion. It’ll take a bit for you to fully recover, so take it easy for now.” A faint semblance of a smile formed on the stern agent’s face, gently placing his hand on Tucker’s shoulder as if to offer a comforting squeeze, though he seemed to be mindful of the pressure. 

 

Tucker managed a grin of his own, before making a second attempt to sit upright in the bed. “Thank fucking god, you’re not making me run laps today.” 

 

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high if I were you, Captain Tucker.” Washington paused in thought, his grin widening as he watched the shocked reaction spread across Tucker's face. "I once heard that Florida took a tomahawk to the shoulder during a mission and managed to keep going."

 

Tucker groaned in exasperation, rolling his eyes at at the agent. “Yeah, well I’m not a Freelancer now am I?” The response carried a hint of sarcasm as he lifted a hand to brush his hair back off of his forehead. “Wasn’t he a crazy son of a bitch too?”

 

“Yes he was, and I’m quite aware that you’re not exactly Freelancer material. However, it might be good to learn to keep going even when injured, it might save your life later.” The freelancer leaned back into the seat he was in, pulling his arm back to place on the arm rest. “Though the sooner that you’re able to get back onto action, the better you’ll be prepared to--”

 

Palomo soon burst into the room, cutting Washington off as the lieutenant raced toward the side of the bed. His eyes were wet with tears, a few having escaped and rolled down his face. “Captain Tucker! I thought that you were going to die! Thank god that you’re okay!” His voice shook and he sounded as if he was going to break out into tears again.

 

Tucker was pulled into a tight embrace by the younger soldier, and the pressure from it made his IVs shift uncomfortably. “Palomo,, Please get off of me,,” Wincing in slight pain, Tucker managed to wriggle out of Palomo’s grip and push him away, visibly relaxing once the grip was lessened. “I’m not gonna die from a fucking stab wound, alright?” Though he appreciated the concern, the idea of being taken out by a stab wound alone annoyed him. He didn’t make it this far to get killed in such a non badass way, though he was well aware of how close of a call it had been for him. He was lucky.

 

His attention returned to Palomo, who was now clinging onto his arm, and by this point had broken down sobbing, any other words he had attempted to say were difficult to make out. At least he wasn’t pressing on the IV’s anymore, to Tucker’s relief. Sighing, he reached over with his free hand to gently pat Palomo on the back in an attempt to soothe him. “Hey, don’t worry about me. It’s all okay.” 

 

Washington had watched in relative silence, his amusement subtle in the look he gave Tucker before he too leaned forwards to squeeze at Palomo’s shoulder. “He’s fine, Lieutenant. He’s lucky that it wasn’t worse than what it was.”

 

“Charles Palomo!!” The voice of Dr. Gray rang out, as she pushed the door open, her face gently flushed from having to chase Palomo through the corridors. Strands of dark, curled hair frayed from her bun and made her appear more frazzled than usual. Anyone else in her position, being the head medic running everything, would have looked dead tired. Despite it all, Dr. Gray has always managed to stay eerily cheerful amidst the chaos of the war. “When I said that he was doing better, that did not mean that he was ready for visitors!!” The doctor hummed as she strode through the room, reaching to tap Palomo on the shoulder. “Oh goodie! You’re awake and alive! How are you feeling?”

 

Palomo, visibly startled, released his grip on Tucker entirely, nearly leaping back a foot or two. While Tucker knew that Palomo’s worry was well placed, he still occasionally grated on his nerves. The kid looked up to him as a mentor, and it wasn’t a position that he was used to being in. Leadership wasn’t exactly his thing, but he couldn't step down now. Not when Locus and Felix are still a threat.

 

“I’m tired, sore and I feel like shit, but I’m not dying. IV’s are itching like a fucking bitch though.” Tucker raised his arm and motioned towards the tubes in his arm. While it wasn’t all too noticeable, they had shifted in his skin somewhat, and it was still causing a good amount of discomfort for him. “Can I get these damn things taken out already?” Tucker hated having IV’s. Not only because it made his stomach churn to see them underneath his skin, but he hated how it itched and how it made it hard for him to stay comfortable without the itch returning every half an hour.

 

“It’s not that unusual to feel awful after a stabbing, and as far as the itchiness goes, that is also normal. Not many patients are fond of the IVs either. But, seeing as you’re not dead and in fact making a quick recovery, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be discharged.” She paused briefly, reaching over to grab at Tucker’s arm. “Then again, more people are hurt and dying and it would be nice to have the extra space to accommodate for it.” It didn’t occur to her that Palomo and Washington were still in the room until she was preparing to remove the IVs from his arm.

 

“Oh! If you two would excuse me, I need to take out Tucker’s IV’s and his catheter so he can go. I wouldn’t mind a little bit of assistance with it, though I don’t know if his dignity would be able to withstand it.” Gray turned to look back at Washington and Palomo, the younger soldier’s face paling. 

 

With as much as Palomo would have been ready to help his Captain, he almost looked nauseated with the notion of removing the catheter. “I uh.. I should go help.. Bitters in the armory with weapons distribution. See ya later, Captain, glad that you’re okay!” Palomo bolted for the door and left the room, his hurried footsteps fading away within seconds.

 

Tucker huffed, partly in amusement with Palomo’s reaction, though he was secretly thankful that the lieutenant left, as he wasn’t entirely fond of the idea of allowing him to help. He didn’t find the process to be able to remove the catheter removed very appealing at all, that shit hurt like a bitch. Things were never meant to go up that hole. 

 

“I wouldn’t mind helping you, Dr. Gray.” Washington offered. While he maintained a fairly stoic demeanor, he couldn’t help but feel just a little bit bad for Tucker. He wasn’t a stranger  to being stuck in a hospital room, and knows the type of pain Tucker is about to endure. No matter how many times that he had been through it himself, the thought of catheter removal never fails to make him shudder. 

 

“Lovely! Let’s get started with the IVs. It’ll be over sooner before you know it!” Gray chirped and turned towards the sink to begin washing her hands and slipping on a pair of gloves.

 

“Wonderful, let’s just get it over with already.” Tucker sighed, keeping his arm in place so that nothing got more out of place before she was able to touch it. Everything itched and he hated feeling it without being able to do anything about it. It was irritating to say the very least.

_ ‘God, I hate all of this. Why a catheter of all things? I’d rather have had them keep me face down with a hole for my face and a hole for my dick so I could just piss in a bowl. But nah, nope, they just had to fucking shove a tube thing up my fucking dick.” _

Tucker tilted his head back so that he was staring at the ceiling. He didn’t want to have to watch any of this shit.

 

“I don't need your help quite yet, Wash. I’ll need you for when I have to remove the catheter.” She returned to Tucker’s side, slipping a linen saver pad underneath his forearm. “How are we doing here? Are you comfortable enough or do you want me to remove it regardless?” Her expression was too eerily joyful, her tone much too enthusiastic for a person in her field. 

 

Tucker shifted somewhat in his bed and laid back down, still keeping his focus away from the tubes that were in his arm. “Uh.. I guess? Aren’t you supposed to use something to numb half of this shit first?” He asked as he also avoided making eye contact with her. He hated this to begin with, and the doctor’s unnerving expression didn’t make it any more enjoyable.

 

“Well sure, how about you ask all the patients that I have in the intensive care unit and those awaiting surgeries and amputations if you could have some of their anesthetic? After all, with this war being as horrible as it is, and because of our dwindling supplies, us as medical experts have to start picking and choosing which patients end up having to suffer due to the extent of their injuries.” Emily’s tone didn’t even falter in the slightest as she twisted the clamp in the tubing to close it. “Besides, getting the IV taken out will feel like heaven compared to getting your catheter removed.”

 

“I am very well aware of that. Uh,, You know it’s really creepy when you say that kinda shit in that tone of voice.” While Tucker was fairly uncomfortable, he could also see that Washington himself was uneasy too. At least he wasn’t alone in that.

 

“That’s the thing, Tucker. When you’re having to watch as everyone that you grew up with and around die almost every other day in a pointless war, you have to find ways to get by.” Emily removed the dressings on the IV, as well as the tape that kept the tubing in place. “This may sting a little bit.” 

She snatched up a small gauze pad and placed it above where the IV had been and started carefully removing it from his arm, keeping the needle straight as she took it out from under his skin. Once she finished that part, she immediately put pressure onto Tucker’s arm to stop the bleeding. For someone as small as she is, it is astounding how much pressure she was able to use.

 

It was an uncomfortable sensation for Tucker as the needle was pulled out, though it wasn’t unbearable. “That’s… a good point..”  He sighed and tried to relax his body in the moment.

 

“Can you hold this down for me while I throw this out? You’re going to need a bit more gauze for your arm.”  Gray let go of the pad briefly in order to throw away the needle into the proper disposal unit, along with throwing the rest of the tubing out into the bio-hazard waste bin. She picked up a small package of gauze pads, opening it up and heading back to Tucker’s side.

 

In the meantime while Gray had been preoccupied, Tucker did as he was asked, keeping pressure even on the pad on his arm.  _ ‘Y’know, at least she’s better than Doc, she’s actually helpful..’ _ The thought lingered as he watched her move around the room, and it almost became his next words, though Tucker knew it was better not to say anything, it would bite him in the ass later and he knew it. 

 

Returning back to Tucker’s side, Gray had two additional gauze pads prepared and gently brushed his hand aside and applied the pads to the semi blood soaked one he was holding. With the amount of pressure that she was using, it didn’t take very long for the bleeding to stop. Gray hummed softly throughout the process, and dressed his arm up in clean wrappings. “Now that wasn’t too bad, was it?” 

 

“No, but that’s not the one I’m anxious about.. It just itched a bit when you removed it.” Tucker wrinkled his nose as he spoke. He knew the catheter was going to be a bitch and a half to take out.

“That’s understandable. It’s not the best feeling in the world, but it’s not the worst pain you’ll ever experience. Catheters are generally removed without anesthesia.” Gray paused, pursing her lips before glancing over in Washington’s direction.

“Wash, would you be a dear and help keep Tucker down for me? I need to make sure that he doesn’t squirm around too much.” She stepped to the counter, removing her old set of gloves in exchange for a clean pair. “It would make my job much easier to do.”

 

“Sure, doesn’t sound all too hard to me.” Washington was half wincing, mostly in sympathy for Tucker. He pushed himself up and out of his chair, making his way to the other side of the bed. Wash planted his hands firmly onto Tucker’s shoulders in preparation. There wasn’t really anything Wash could think of to say to try and reassure him.

 

Tucker stared up at Washington, sighing somewhat. “Man,I really hope you don’t make me run laps after this.” He half grinned, bringing up an earlier joke. Tucker was well aware that he would have to resume normal duties soon, though he hoped that it could wait a day or two, or until he stopped aching so much. He wasn’t expecting for things to go that route, but he could only ope.

 

As Washington opened his mouth to respond, Gray snapped her attention towards the Freelancer, her tone becoming very threatening. “I sure hope you don’t intend on pushing Tucker too much after we’re done here. He is still healing, and while his recovery is fantastic, I will not be happy if I hear that I have to stitch him back up again.” 

 

The doctor’s glare almost made Washington seem to shrink, and the agent looked visibly nervous. He awkwardly chuckled and went to speak again, but Gray beat him to it again. “I understand that you’re the one running the show with most of the trainings around here, but if Tucker comes back in here and your name is mentioned, I’ll arrange a private meeting for the both of us to have a chat, and we don’t want it to come to that. Do you understand?” Her smile was unnerving, and it sent shivers down both Tucker’s and Washington’s spines.

 

It was the first time Tucker had seen Washington pale ever so slightly. Emily was quite terrifying when she wanted to be and it made anyone bend to her. Not even Locus was willing to argue with her when he was still on her side, as far as what he has been told. She is a force to be reckoned with. It made Tucker shudder, and he was glad that the doctor’s irritation was directed at him. He was almost completely certain that Gray would castrate anyone that crossed her. Tucker looked back up at Wash and exhaled deeply, trying to relax once more.

 

“A-alright then.. Maybe walking the laps would be a better idea.” The agent forced a small awkward chuckle to ease the tension before focusing his attention back to Tucker.

 

“That’s more like it!” Emily turned, focusing on unhooking the urine bag and disposing of it. “Tucker, try and focus on staying relaxed, if you can.” She hummed, stepping towards the counter to retrieve a syringe. Inserting the tip of it into the catheter balloon port, she slowly pulled the end of it back to drain the liquid that kept the balloon inflated inside of Tucker’s bladder. Dr. Gray was taking her time with it, to ensure that the balloon was completely deflated and that all the liquid was removed from it before she threw it out into tit’s proper waste container.    
“Now, you might feel a little bit of stinging, but don’t worry, it’s normal.” She chirped as she gently started pulling the catheter out of him.

 

Tucker tried to keep his breathing even and it was a lot of effort to not squirm away. That was way more than just a fucking sting. He hissed through his teeth as the sensation started getting to get more intense. Washington’s hands pressed down on him, a firm reminder that he needed to stay still. At least he managed to keep his legs in place.  _ ‘God, is this hell? Did I actually die and go to hell? Is this how I’m being punished?’ _ Tucker was very much alive, the monitors that he was hooked up to and the beeping confirmed at least that much.

 

Dr. Gray continued to pull the catheter out, making sure everything was properly lined up so that nothing hindered the process. It took a little over a few minutes for her to complete, but she finally pulled it out, collecting everything up before she turned to toss it into the biohazard waste container.    
“All done!! It wasn’t so bad now, was it, Tucker? I’m going to need you to make sure that you keep up your intake of water so that you can flush out your system. If you’re in pain for longer than you think you should be, come back to see me, okay?” She peeled off her gloves and threw them out, moving to wash her hands.

 

“That was fucking awful...” Tucker’s voice was a groan, the pain he endured still lingered, though it was beginning to ebb away. He relaxed a little now that she was done, the worst was over. He never wanted to do that again, period. “Yeah, yeah, get enough fluids and go to see you if I have issues while pissing or if I’m in pain while doing so after the three day mark.”   Tucker huffed a bit and started to sit up slowly, with Washington removing his hands from his shoulders and stepping back. He wanted out of this room. Everything felt and looked too sterile and from Tucker’s experience, nothing good ever happened in rooms like this.

 

“Well, now that you’re all done here, you should be able to check out and resume most of your duties.” Gray picked up the clipboard that had been on the counter and she flipped through the papers, scribbling on the paper.. “I’ll go ahead and leave you two alone, come by the office when you’re ready for discharge!!” She flashed another large grin before she left the hospital room, leaving Tucker and Washington in the room.

 

Washington, who had seemed paler than usual, started to have color return to his face shortly after the doctor’s leave. Part of that was influenced by his empathizing with Tucker, and the other part of it having to do with Emily. He inhaled quickly and sighed. “Take it easy, Tucker. Maybe wait a bit before you get up.”

 

Tucker looked up at Washington, groaning in mild exasperation. “Dude, I have been laying here for way too fucking long. I’m fine, just sore. I gotta get up and off of this thing.” He rolled his eyes as he spoke, though he knew Wash was probably right. He didn’t want to be stuck in the room longer than he had to be. Tucker couldn’t recall what it was that he had against being in a hospital room, though currently, he would rather not have to be stuck in one. “I’ll rest when I can get outta here. That good?” He asked with his eyebrows raised.

 

“If you’re able to get up and walk, you can do your modified laps. I’m not going to expect you to be running anytime soon. Not while you’re still healing.” Wash took a step back, moving to sit down in the chair next to his bed. “We’re going to have to meet up with everyone else first. Emily’s pretty much kept you away from everyone else to try and give you some peace while you were resting.”

 

Tucker nodded, now upright, while it was just a little painful, it was something that he could manage, though it more fell into the area of discomfort. He stayed in place for several minutes before moving to let his legs dangle over the side of the bed. “Well at least none of them were in here. I would’ve hated it.” Tucker muttered, slowly moving to get up off the bed. He kept a hold of the banisters for a moment so he could be sure his legs wouldn’t give out on him, as well to help with his balance. It was more uncomfortable for him to stand, but he could handle it.

 

Washington got back up, prepared to offer Tucker some assistance. “While they weren’t fussing in here, they’ve been fussing out there. Something you should at least be somewhat prepared for when we leave.” There was concern written on the agent’s face, though he’d likely deny it, he cared a lot more than he seemed to let on. “Everything all good, Tucker?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good. Just... sore is all.” Tucker responded with a sigh. He figured the others would be worried about him, even if they weren’t open about that kind of thing usually. He’d at least admit to himself that he would be worried about the others if situations had been reversed. It wasn’t something he really thought about often, but throughout the years, those idiots kind of became something close to family.

 

“Alright then. Let’s get going. Never know how much time you’ve got left until something new comes up.” He started towards the door, glancing behind his shoulder to look at Tucker.  “It’s good to have you back, Lavernius.” It was one of those rare moments where Wash’s smile was genuine, and his relief was hard to miss. Washington opened the door, holding it open for Tucker as he followed behind him.   
  
When Washington allowed the door to close behind them he moved back to Tucker’s side, stepping a bit closer to him to once again, offer him some support. Tucker flashed a small grin in response before slinging an arm around his shoulder before the pair began to walk down the corridor together.

 

“I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when we get back.” 


End file.
